You cannot carry heavy things. You should sleep more. No working. No household chores. And the list goes on as Carol Chan explained her postpartum instructions for new mom Taylor Richard.

Chan is a confinement nanny, who lives with families after a baby is born. She prepares meals and herbal medicines, takes care of the baby and provides guidance on being a new mother.

Richard, a content creator from Canada, traveled to Hong Kong to become a model and fell in love with her husband, Tom, there. They married in November 2018, and Richard gave birth to their son, Levi, in March 2022.

Richard decided to hire Chan, who lived with the family for a month and spent an additional month helping out.

Richard vlogged about her experience with Chan on her YouTube channel, and that video went viral with 2.9 million views. The reaction was mostly admiration and praise from Richard’s primarily Western followers.

The concept of Chinese confinement — “zuo yue zi,” or “sitting the month”— is when a new mother stays at home for one month to allow her body to rest after giving birth. During that time, the nanny makes dishes catering to the mother’s physical needs and helps her with milk production and other concerns. She also cares for the mother with massage and body wraps, and gives lessons on how to take care of the new baby. This tradition isn’t without criticism, and some have questioned whether the traditional methods of confinement in the Chinese community are too extreme and may be dangerous. In 2015, a new mother in Shanghai following the custom died of heatstroke after wrapping herself in a quilt and turning off the air conditioner, Chinese media reported.

In recent years, some people have adapted the tradition to more modern ways, taking advantage of available technology. It’s important to turn the air conditioner on when the weather is hot, Chan said, or else you could get sick. The traditional practice had been to avoid anything cold regardless of the weather.

Richard, now 34, said she loved the time she spent with Chan.

“It meant everything! My husband and I both don’t have any family members in Hong Kong, and as new parents we were pretty clueless,” she said. “Having someone take care of my body and gently guide me through my transition into motherhood made for a very positive beginning of my baby’s life.”

The kind of care Richard received is expensive, whether the new parents live in Hong Kong or elsewhere. The service at one U.S. location, Boram Postnatal Retreat, which opened last year in New York City, comes with a hefty price tag, starting at three nights for US$2700.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【发视频博客】fā shìpín bókè vlog post a blog that contains video material

【分娩/禁闭】fēnmiǎn /jìnbì confinement the state attending and consequent to childbirth; being kept somewhere

卡罗尔•陈给新手妈妈泰勒•理查德解释“坐月子”，要注意的事情真不少：不能拿重物、要多睡觉、不上班、不要做家务。

陈是住家月嫂，准备饭菜和中药汤、照顾婴儿并为新手妈妈提供指导。

视频博主理查德来自加拿大，此前是香港的一名职业模特，在那里遇到了汤姆并坠入爱河。两人2018年11月结婚，去年3月生下了儿子列维。

生娃后理查德决定雇用陈，陈照顾完月子又帮了一个月忙。

理查德在她的YouTube频道上发布了这段“坐月子”经历，该视频很快就火了，获得290万次的观看。理查德大部分粉丝是西方人，看了这些视频大部分人表达了羡慕和赞许。

中国“坐月子”的概念指新妈妈分娩后要在家里待一个月，让身体得到充分休息。

在此期间，保姆会根据产妇的身体需求制作菜肴，并帮助她处理哺乳和其他问题。还通过按摩、身体裹敷等方法来照顾母亲，教她如何照顾新生儿。

这一传统并非完美，也有人质疑华人社区的传统“捂月子”是否过于极端，甚至危险。据国内媒体报道，2015年上海有位新妈妈遵照习俗，关掉空调又裹上被子，最后死于中暑。

近年来，有人借助技术将传统加以改进来适应当代生活。陈说，天气炎热时开空调很重要，否则可能会热病了。传统做法是无论天气如何都要避免受凉。

现年34岁的理查德说，她喜欢和陈共度的时光。

“这太重要了！丈夫和我在香港都没有家人，作为新手父母，我们很无助，”她说。“有人照顾我，温柔地引导我怎样做个母亲，给了宝宝一个积极的开端。”

无论在香港或者其他地方，得到理查德这样的照顾都是昂贵的。去年美国纽约市开业的博拉姆产后静养所价格高昂，最少住三晚，收费2700美元。。

(SD-Agencies)